On Friday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the risk of a large-scale war following the increasing exchange of fire across the Israeli-Lebanese border.

The Office of the Spokesperson, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement, “The United Nations is deeply concerned about the increasing intensity of the exchange of fire across the Blue Line yesterday, Thursday, which increases the risk of a large-scale war.”

The statement added: “Escalation can and must be avoided, and we repeat that the risk of miscalculation leading to a sudden and widespread fire is real.”

He stressed that "a political and diplomatic solution is the only viable way forward."

The United Nations added: “We reiterate the calls of the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator in Lebanon and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which urge the two sides to immediately return to the cessation of hostilities and recommit to the full implementation of Security Council Resolution No. 1701 in 2006.”

On August 11, 2006, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution No. 1701, which called for a complete cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, and called for the creation of an area between the Blue Line (separating Lebanon and Israel) and the Litani River in southern Lebanon, free of any Armed men, military equipment and weapons, except those belonging to the Lebanese army and the UNIFIL forces.

From 2006 until the beginning of October 2023, the southern border witnessed great stability despite limited violations, as Hezbollah did not show a public military presence amid talk of the existence of tunnels and hideouts for it.

But since Hezbollah entered the Gaza war line by bombing Israeli military sites on the border with Lebanon and Tel Aviv responded violently to southern towns, fears have increased about the possibilities of an “all-out war” between the two countries.